It's time for ticks (and mosquitoes)

A late winter, wet spring and warm weather has caused the mosquito and tick population in the area to explode, and officials with the Ionia County Health Department and the Michigan Department of Community Health are reminding the public to take precautions to guard against mosquito and tick bites.The tiny bugs are more than annoying; they can cause serious illness and even death.Last year, 36 illnesses and two deaths from the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus (WNV) were reported in the state. Symptoms can be mild to severe and can require hospitalization.Michigan mosquitoes can carry not only WNV but also Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and heartworm disease, which affects dogs and cats."EEE doesn't usually transfer to humans, but it can. It's rare that the (Department of Natural Resources) gets a human case," said Chad Shaw, emergency preparedness coordinator for the Ionia County Health Department. "We didn't see any last year in humans in Michigan or the U.S."Individuals who participate in outdoor activities such as gardening, construction, landscaping and outdoor sports, and children at camp are at increased risk of getting bitten by mosquitoes and ticks. Mosquitoes that carry WNV can be found indoors as well.Adults 50 and older have the highest risk of illness caused by WNV and EEE. EEE also is more likely to cause illness in children 15 and younger."Their immune systems are not as strong, so the diseases take a bigger toll on their body," said Shaw.The state is home to a number of tick species that will bite people and pets. Typically found in wooded or brushy areas with tall grass and leaf litter, the ticks most commonly encountered in Michigan include the American dog tick, which can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and the blacklegged tick, also known as the deer tick or bear tick, which can spread a number of illnesses, including Lyme disease.While rare, human cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever have been documented in Michigan. Ticks also can carry anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and many more diseases, which endanger animals as well as humans.Eight cases of a new disease thought to be spread by ticks, Heartland virus disease, have been identified in some Missouri and Tennessee residents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is unknown at this time if the virus may be found in other areas of the U.S.Among tick-borne illnesses, Lyme disease is the biggest concern, Shaw said. Lyme disease is considered to be an "emerging disease," due to the expansion of tick populations in Michigan's western Upper and Lower Peninsulas. It is the most common tick-borne disease reported in the state, with 165 human cases reported in 2013, an increase of almost 60 percent from the previous year."The numbers have been going up. Lyme disease was not prevalent in 2002, but now, with the numbers of blacklegged ticks having increased, last year was the highest in a long time," Shaw said, adding that there were Lyme disease cases in Ottawa County and Kent County in 2013, but none in Ionia County, and none so far this year, "knock on wood."The tick transmits Lyme disease when it's in its poppy seed-sized nymphal-stage — peaking in June but running through September — and is the most difficult to spot. Ticks crawl upwards and tend to hide in hard-to-spot places on the body.Citizens should contact their health care provider if they develop signs of tick-borne illness such as a fever, body aches and/or a bulls-eye shaped rash within two to 30 days after receiving a tick bite or spending time in a tick habitat, said Shaw. Early recognition and treatment can decrease the chance of serious complications."If you find early it enough, Lyme disease is relatively easy to cure," Shaw said. "It's important that you find it early, because it can eventually affect the nervous system and causes paralysis."For more information about WNV, visitwww.michigan.gov/westnilevirus. For more information about diseases carried by mosquitoes and ticks, visit www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases. For a comprehensive brochure about ticks, visit www.ioniacounty.org/health-department.